Game



' April 4, 1939- E. M.BRIGHT 2,152,867

GAME Filed June '25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q2 7 2a INVENTOR 9? ELY/IV M. smear &

April 1939- E. BRIGHT 2,152,867

GAME

Filed June 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ELVIN M. BRIGHT 36/ 4' x BY 47 HIS ATTO EY.

Patented Apr. 4, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT oi-"i-"icr.

2,152,867 GAME Elvin M. Bright, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to John M. Wallace, Cincinnati, Ohio, as trustee Application June 25. 1936. Serial No. 87,200

6 Claims. (01. 273-58 This invention relates to a game and in more the reference character 3, the player scores 3 particular to a lawn game where balls are rolled points. It has been found to prove very satisover a balk line upon a target having areas of factory for each player to play two balls from different assigned values. each foul line. For the purpose of identification,

5 An object of this invention is to provide a game the balls of one player differ in color from the where a player standing back of a foul line rolls other players balls. or bowls a ball over a balk line upon a target. In the modified target shown in Fig. 4, the

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a circle 30 has been omitted. Allthe scoring areas target defining the meets and bounds of areas of are either triangular or trapezoidal in shape. assigned values without covering said areas. This facilitates manufacture. The score values Another object of this invention is to provide are designated by the numerals found in each a removably mounted triangular target having area. divisions therein. BALLS Another object of this invention is to provide a composition fora ball that is easily made, cheap The balls used in playing this game are in construction of proper weight and sufficiently preferably four andone-half inchesin diameter,

durable to withstand rough usage. q weighing two pounds and ten t The Another object of this invention is to provide afimsh is preferably smooth and such a nature.

crate for the game that it will not chip. The halls may bemade other Objects and advantages residelm the from various types of material suitable for the construction of parts, the combination thereof use 9 which they are and thetmode oifhopgrfaitii, asdwlll ibgcome' more composition of cm-e of balls a aren from e o o n esc p ion. 5 the drawings, F 1 discloses a court; For the cores l2 of the balls III a composition Figs 2 3 disclqse perspective and exploded of silica, sulphur and asphalt, having intermixed 25 views f a crate f the game therein suitable fibrous material, such as cotton Fig. 4 showsanother modification of the target. or linen rags or jute butts may be used This The of the game is to bowl or 1.011 a ball composition is preferably made from finely. Ill similar to a bowling ball over a balk line upon ground silica and smphur fused at f g u a target, the score being dependent upon the ofseveral hundreddegrees Fahrenheit 1n the 'ab- 30 location of the ball with respect to various'areas 'Sence oxygen- This used smca and sulphur in the target; 1 forms a homogeneous mass.

* The players standing to the rear f the foul This fused mass is then preferably doused into 1 line 20 roll the ball in in the direction of the Water so as to 601188111 the Outer Surface of the opposite target 22, the ball rolling over th balk mass; but with the bulk of the mass plastic, that 35 line at The foul line 2 the target 22 and the is, the interior of the mass soft. The dousing of. balk line 24 are r f rably located on the a the mass solidifying the outer surface prevents or on any other suitable grassy lea. The target oxidation of the sulphm" so that twjfiass' may 20 and the balk line 24 are preferably made from be handled n The silica h ha been 40 bias tape, the target being staked t each of the treated with sulphur will for conveniencebe re- 40 three corners of a triangle and the balk line i to as "thermally sulphurized Silica, in being staked at the ends thereof. The target may that the silica is treated with sulphur in the be some 15 to 20 yards away from the foul line. P esence of heat- The boundary lines 26 and the partition lines a This sealed bulk of fused ilica and lph 4 28 are preferably made from bias tape sewed towhich y be int as thermically phurgether. The circle 30 may be formed from a suited s a. is t e p u d i o ou te asphalt able annular member, as for example, of fabric. a d after 00011118 sumciently, rags, jute butts or If the ball stops in thecircle 30, the player reother suitable fibrous material is added. The ceives the highest scorepossible. "He may,forthe thermically sulphurlzed silica. moulten p alt purpose of illustration, score '7. If the ball comes d fibrous material arevthen thoroughly mixed 60 to rest in the area designated by the reference into a uniform constituency throughout.- character 5, the playerscores5. 1f the ball While plastic this composition may bemolded alights' in the quadrilateral designated by the into spheres which form very strong, sturdy cores reference character 4, the player scores 4 and if I! for the balls. The cores I! of the balls are the ball comes to rest in the area. designated by molded under the influence of pressure. l In order r be doused into cold water, so as to efiect the desired surface. This is very essential so as to rapidly set the plastic molding material. As soon as it is set the balls retain their spherical form. The following proportions have been found quite satisfactory: five pounds (5#) of silica with five pounds (5#) of sulphur, to form thermically sulphurized silica having added thereto after being formed twenty pounds of Trinidad Lake asphalt while in a moulten state, having therein two pounds (2#) of shredded rags or other suitable fibrous material.

C'oaiting process As an outer coating l4- for the balls III a coating of nitrocellulose material has been found to be very satisfactory. A new process has been developed for applying this nitrocellulose coating to the balls. Any suitable solvent for the nitrocellulose material may be used such as acetone, isetone and the like. Hereafter the generic term solvent will be used instead of a specific type of solvent. It is preferable to use the nitrocellulo se as thick as possible, as the solvent is comparatively expensive and therefore the cost is affected by the quantity of solvent used. When hardening the nitrocellulose coating it is necessary to withdraw the solvent from the nitrocellulose. The solvent may be withdrawn from the nitrocellulose coating at a comparatively low temperature; but it has a tendency'to cause blisters or leave pin holes in the surface of the finished article. In the past, in order to avoid this, it has been customary to freeze the nitrocellulose immediately upon application or to put it into a room where thetemperature is extremely low, thereby causing the solvent to slowly leave the coating. I

In the process used in coating the'balls the nitrocellulose dissolved in a solvent is applied three zones.

by dipping the balls. There is a tendency for the coating to flow downwardly, being attracted by gravity, so as to cause the balls to he lopsided. This has been overcome by revolving the balls 'in a vertical plane, thereby causing the nitrocellulose coating to be distributed uniformly. Care must be used, however, to control the rate of rotation so as to eliminate undesirable effects of centrifugal force. It has been found that by rotating the balls so as to complete a revolution in a couple of minutes produces very desirable results. I

As the balls are rotated the balls pass through It is rather diflicult to ascertain without elaborate tests what takes place in each zone. Without definitely knowing what takes place, the following explanation is 'made as a plausible explanation, with the understanding that the validity' and the scope of the patent are not to be influenced by this explanation in the event it is in error. The balls III are rotated so as to be dipped into a vat containing a solution which has an attraction for the solvent. Certain petroleum products have such an attraction, as for example, gasoline. For the purpose of illustration, the solvent having an attraction for the nitrocellulose solvent willbe referred to as soluinsoluble.

the influence of the solution there is a difference in osmotic pressure along the outer surface of the coating and the extreme inner surface thereof. For the convenience of analysis whenever the osmotic pressures throughout the substances are not uniform the rate-of increase of the osmotic pressure with distance will be referred to' as osmotic pressure gradient. When the nitrocellulose coating is subjected to the influence of the solution over a long period of time, this causes the osmotic pressure gradient to be sufficiently steep or inclined so as to result in the formation of bubbles within the coating, which bubbles are drawn or forced outwardly, due to the difference in osmotic presures. In so doing, the bubbles leave a void or a small opening, which is generally referred to in the trade as pin hole, which-pin hole extends to the outer surface of the coating and leaves a small dimple or depression therein.

It has been found however, that if the balls are submerged in the. solution for a short period of time, for a period of time extending over some ten to fifteen seconds, the osmotic pressure gradient may possibly be extremely steep near the outer surface of the coating; but comparatively flat further in. This causes the solvent near the outer surface to pass into the solution, forming a solution therewith; but by removing the balls from the solution within a short period of sure at the surface of the ball. While the ball is in the fumes the I osmotic pressure gradient throughout the coating of the ball equalizes, that is, the osmotic pressure near the outer surface is increased and the osmotic pressure near the inner surface islowered, so that the osmotic pressure seeks its own level throughout the entire thick;

ness of the coating.

The ball is advanced from the zone of the solvent fumes into the air, where the nitrocellulose materialvhas' a slight tendency to dry and the ball may again be advanced into a zone of solvent fumes, back into the solution where the operation is repeated. By the time the ball enters the solution in the succeeding cycle the osmotic pressure' gradient throughout the coating of the ball may be substantially uniform, so that as the solution attracts the solvent in the nitrocellulose material the solvent near the outer surface leaves the nitrocellulose material without greatly influencing the osmotic pressure gradient before bubbles form within the coating. The ball is again removed from the solution into. the zone' containing the fumes of the solvent, from whence the cycle is repeated. It has been found that some thirty to forty cycles, extending over a periodcf an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, are sufficient to remove enough solvent from the nitrocellulose coating soas to permit the nitrocellulose coating to-be further dried in the open air when the solvent escapes in the form of the balls periodically or cyclicly in the solution,

followed by a treatment in a zone containing solvent fumes and finally in a zone of air, the

nitrocellulose coating becomes immune from deleterious effects of moisture condensation. If pin holes should perchan'ce form in the outer surface of the coating, these may be eliminated by dipping the balls in a very thin nitrocellulose solution which results in an extremely thin coating or film adhering to the outer surface of the coating that has already been applied. Due to the thinness of this second coating the solvent dissolves the outer portion of the first coating so as to permit the nitrocellulose coating to fill the pin holes. This has been found to completely eliminate all traces of pin holes if such pin holes should perchance form in the first coating.

The rate of rotation of the balls is somewhat dependent upon the viscosity of the nitrocellulose material. The rate of rotation, of course, must be changed to accommodate changed conditions in the coating solution.

For some types of work it may be desirable to seal the chamber where the coating is being treated in the several zones, fresh air being supplied as needed and excess fumes being withdrawn, so as to get the proper oxidation of the nitrocellulose coating to properly cure it.

HANDLING CRATE For the convenience of handling the balls which. are of a comparatively large diameter on the order of four and one-half inches in diameter or less, a crate has been provided. This crate includes a base member 36 provided with end members 38. The base is provided with recesses 40, one for each ball, so that as the balls are placed in their respective recesses these will not roll out. In order to hold the balls in' position a rod 42, which may be either round or rectangular in cross sectional area, supports rubber cups 44, one for each ball, which rubber cups engage the-upper surface of the ball when member 42 and the cups 44 are in position, so as to prevent the balls from being displaced even though the crate may be tipped. The rod 42 is held in position by a pin 46 passing through a hole 48 in one end frame 38 and another pin 46 slipped into a vertical slot 50, as viewed in Fig. 3, found in the opposite end member 38 and held in position by a hook 52. This crate may be used both as a shipping crate for the balls and asa crate for holding the balls when not in use. The rod 42 in addition to supporting the vacuum cups 44, also serves as a handle for the crate to facilitate the handling thereof.

RULas or mm GAME The game may be played by either two or four players. the same end of the court and change ends after all balls have been bowled. Players take turns bowling alternately, the high point player of the previous bowl taking first turn. When played by four, the two partners play at opposite ends of the court. Choice of colors of balls may be determined by the players.

The first play of the game is started'by bowling the ball to the opposite target. nearest the circle 30 has the choice of first or second ball. After the game is started the first player is always the high score man of the last bowl. The players are not permitted to cross the foul line when playing and must cause the balls to cross the balk line in order for the ball to remain in the game. Otherwise, the ball is removed from the court immediately without scoring.

One of the aims of the game is to remove the opponents ball from scoring position,asthe scores are tallied after all the balls have been bowled in a particular frame.

Any suitable score may constitute the game. The scoring positions have already been discussed.

Although the preferred modification of the device has been described, it will be understood that within thepurview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts which generally stated, consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, in the novel parts, combination of parts and mode of operation as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A game ball consisting of a core of thermically sulphurized silica subsequently intermixed with asphalt molded under pressure while plastic and an outer shell of nitrocellulose material.

2. A game ball including thermically sulphurized silica subsequently intermixed with asphalt molded while plastic into spherical shape.

3. An article including silica and sulphur fused When played by two, both play from The one together in the presence of heat to form thermifused with sulphur in the presence of heat to' form thermically sulphurized silica subsequently intermixed with asphalt having a fibrous filler material therein.

6. An article of manufacture including five parts of silica fused with five parts of sulphur in the presence of heat to form thermically sulphurized silica subsequently intermixed with twenty parts of asphalt.

i ELVIN M. BRIG-HT. 

